Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in New Grove Manor

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyersAs New Jersey and Pennsylvania nursing home abuse lawyers with a commitment to exposing long term care facilities in which signs of nursing home abuse and neglect have been found, we turn today to an Essex County nursing home. According to Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare System, New Grove Manor located in East Orange, New Jersey, has been rated a below average long term care facility. New Grove Manor was routinely inspected twice between December 2008 and November 2010. During those inspections, this for-profit, corporately owned nursing home was cited for 34 separate deficiencies. New Grove Manor has 185 long term patient beds under its care, and one of the many deficiencies cited was the failure to properly treat bed sores and pressure ulcers. They also failed to utilize proper bedsore prevention methods for bed-ridden or wheelchair-ridden patients.This is a serious sign of the abuse and neglect that can lead to potentially fatal complications in residents.

New Grove Manor was cited on two separate occasions for this same violation regarding bed sores and pressure ulcers. It is very important to prevent and treat bed sores properly, and not doing so is a clear sign of long term care facility abuse and neglect.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one has been abused or neglected in a nursing home or long term care facility, the first thing you should do is contact the Elder Ombudsman’s Office in your state to report the incident. They will document the complaint, and take further steps to investigate it. Your next step is to contact a nursing home abuse attorney. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, and (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

We are dedicated to eradicating the disturbing trends of abuse and neglect in our nation’s nursing homes and long term care facilities.

Cherry Hill Rehab and Nursing Facility Falls Below Average

As New Jersey and Philadelphia lawyers who have become experts on nursing home abuse and neglect cases, we continue to highlight those nursing homes with below average ratings according to Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare System on the official Medicare web site. This web site evaluates nursing homes all across the country and gives ratings of one to five stars.
The nursing facility that we will focus on today was given one star, a below average rating under the Medicare rating system.

Cherry Hill Rehab and Nursing Facility

New Jersey Philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyersThe Cherry Hill Rehab and Nursing Facility, located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, is a corporately owned facility. This nursing home has 120 long-term inpatient beds under its care. The New Jersey Division of Health Facilities Evaluation Licensing routinely inspected this nursing home five times from December 2009 until August 2010. During those routine inspections, 14 separate deficiencies were cited. The Cherry Hill Rehab and Nursing Facility was cited for failing to hire only people who have no legal history of abusing, neglecting or mistreating residents, failure to give professional services that met professional standards of quality, failure to have a program to keep infection from spreading, and failure to give residents proper treatment to prevent new bed sores or heal existing bed sores, among many other infractions. A nursing home that receives a below average rating should be watched very carefully for signs of abuse and neglect.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident in a nursing home or other long-term care facility and you feel the care they are receiving may be abusive or negligent, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Don’t let abusive care ruin your loved one’s quality of life.

Nursing Home Abuse at Avista Healthcare in Cherry Hill, New Jersey

As attorneys representing clients from New Jersey and Philadelphia that have been victims of nursing home abuse and neglect, it is important that we continue to expose those nursing homes that are not performing to the average nationwide standards according to Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare System.
Today we will discuss a nursing home that is located in Camden County, New Jersey. Although this nursing home has not been cited for neglect in the form of bed sore acquirement and treatment issues, like many others, it has many of its own deficiencies according to the New Jersey Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing.

Avista Healthcare Offers Less Than Adequate Care

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers Avista Healthcare Cherry HillThe Avista Healthcare nursing home, located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey was routinely inspected twice between December 2008 and November 2010. During this time period, 10 separate deficiencies were cited. The nursing home was cited for failing to properly procure and serve food in a sanitary manner. As we have often highlighted in our previous posts, proper nutrition is imperative for good health and bedsore prevention in nursing home patients.

Avista Healthcare nursing home was also inspected seven times for complaints, and cited for five additional deficiencies during these inspections. Failure to be free from hazards and failure to properly implement abuse/neglect policies were among other citations imposed during these inspections. According to the Medicare inspectors, Avista Healthcare nursing home, a for-profit, corporately owned nursing home, was given an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars. This indicates that the 146 long term bed facility is considered to function in a well below average capacity. A nursing home with this type of overall rating is ripe for cases of abuse and neglect, from accidents to bedsores. It is important that anyone with a loved one in a nursing home with this reputation be watched carefully!

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident at a nursing home or similar type facility, and you believe that the care they are receiving may actually be detrimental to their health and quality of life, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also with any questions for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let the nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office help you protect the best interests of your loved one.

Bed Sore Lawyers: Nutrition is Important to Bed Sore Prevention

As New Jersey and Philadelphia bed sore lawyers that are experts in nursing home abuse and neglect cases, it is important for us to remind readers of the dangers of bedsores and how nursing home abuse and neglect can lead to their formation. A patient being given appropriate nursing home care should not be one that acquires bed sores or pressure ulcers. We have already discussed the importance of proper repositioning and skin treatment to help prevent bed sores from forming. Today, we are going to remind everyone how important proper nutrition is to bedsore prevention.

Proper Nutrition Can Help Prevent Bedsores

new jersey philadelphia bed sores attorneys nutrition important preventionIt is much easier to prevent bed sores and pressure ulcers from forming than it is to treat them once they occur. Therefore, it is important for nursing homes and caregivers to be vigilant in their care. One important strategy as this nootropics blog explains, is for nursing homes to make sure their patients are being given the proper nutrition. The patient’s diet should be assessed and changes made, if necessary, to make sure the nursing home is providing the proper nutrition. Based on the patient’s current nutrition needs, it may be necessary to raise the patient’s caloric intake. Having the proper amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals is also imperative. Sometimes, supplements are necessary.

Often, vitamin C and Zinc supplements are necessary. For those patients that are unable to properly feed themselves due to decreased mobility, physical assistance with feeding may also be needed. A plan of proper nutrition should be put in place by the nursing home staff for each individual patient. In many nursing homes with hundreds of beds, this can be overlooked. Improper nutrition being available is itself tantamount to nursing home abuse and neglect, and it can also lead to the acquirement of painful and sometimes deadly bed sores and pressure ulcers. As we always indicate, prevention is the best treatment for bed sores. Nursing homes and loved ones must do what is necessary to prevent the formation of bed sores so that treatment is never necessary!

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is currently a resident at a nursing home and you believe the care they are receiving may be considered abusive or negligent, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call with any questions for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Cleft Lip: The Importance of the Upgraded Pregnancy Warning

The drug Topamax, commonly used for treating seizures associated with epilepsy and preventing serious migraines, may also raise the risk of oral birth defects during pregnancy. Oral birth defects that can be triggered by the use of Topamax include cleft lip and cleft palate. This news comes after the Food and Drug Administration released a new warning regarding the highly popular drug.

Increased Warning on Topamax Label

new jersey philadelphia Cleft Lip Lawyers importance upgraded pregnancy warningAs data from studies shows the possible correlation between Topamax and cleft lip, the FDA states that there will be a stronger label on the product. The pregnancy category of the drug has been changed. The warning will now show Topamax in category D, as opposed to its former spot in category C. There has been positive evidence of fetal risk in human beings, which is the reason for the change of category.

During the first trimester of pregnancy, if the lip or palate fails to fuse together, cleft lip or cleft palate defects may occur. The degree and seriousness of the defect can widely vary. Defects can be as minimal as simply a small notch in the lip, to a more dramatic occurrence of a groove that spans the roof of the mouth and nose. More serious cleft lip issues may lead to problems with speech, eating, and the possibility of ear infections.

Cleft Lip Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If you were recently pregnant and your child has had a birth defect, it is possible that you may have some questions. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for any questions regarding cleft lip, Topamax use during pregnancy, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Medical Malpractice and Sexual Abuse Allegations Drive Doctor to Suicide

On February 18th of this year, Dr. Melvin Levine, a pediatrician who worked at Children’s Hospital Boston, was found dead, by a gunshot wound to the head, in the woods surrounding his North Carolina home. The death came a day after a class action lawsuit was filed against him for medical malpractice and sexual abuse of at least 40 male patients in the years between 1966 and 1985. Last week, Dr. Levine’s death was ruled a suicide.

Men Come Forward Claiming Abuse By Levine

new jersey philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys allegations melvin levine suicideDr. Levine had long been accused of sexually abusing of his male patients, but always maintained his innocence. But not long ago, men began to come forward, describing incidents where they had seen Dr. Levine as children and been molested in his office. Some spoke of fondling during routine check-ups, and others even claim that Dr. Levine performed oral sex on them.

Christopher Dean is a 50 year old architect in Rossindale, Mass and was, at one time, a patient of Dr. Levine. Dean says the molestation occurred when Dr. Levine saw him in his elementary school nurse’s office. Levine fondled him and said he’d like to see him as a regular patient. A young Christopher left the office in tears, but never told anyone. When he was 25, Christopher’s mother told him that Levine had molested 2 young sons of a friend of hers and had relocated to North Carolina, probably fleeing from allegations. When his mother asked him, Christopher was so humiliated about what happened years before, that he lied to her and held that Levine never touched him. He finally told his mother the truth last week, and has yet to tell his father.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

Medical malpractice in the form of bad judgments and medical negligence is awful, but medical malpractice in the form of deliberate abuse is depraved. Dr. Levine, if guilty, engaged in disturbing and life-changing actions from a place of trust and power. And his guilt doesn’t look any less likely after his suicide this past week.

If you or a loved one have suffered medical malpractice of any kind at the hands of an abusive or negligent medical provider, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let the medical malpractice attorneys at the Mininno Law Office earn you the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys Reveal Truth About Tort Reform Supporters

Reform of the medical malpractice tort system is probably something you’ve heard a great deal about recently. It seems that there are people who believe that the way in which injured victims of medical malpractice and negligence are compensated in this country is sufficiently flawed. These supporters propose caps on damages and harder restrictions on what constitutes medical malpractice. So it’s no surprise that these supporters include medical providers of all sorts, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical giants.

House Bill to Reform Medical Malpractice Litigation

new jersey philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys truth about tort reformTwo nights before President Obama’s State of the Union Address, Republican Phil Gingrey introduced a bill to the House that would severely limit the amount of compensation that victims of medical malpractice could receive. What’s a bit more interesting is who Phil Gingrey was before he sponsored a tort reform bill.

For 30 years before he was elected to congress, Gingrey was an obstetrician; an obstetrician who was involved in his fair share of malpractice lawsuits. And one of those suits settled for $500,000.

His patient, a young pregnant woman, had acute appendicitis that went undiagnosed, and therefore, untreated. The appendix burst and an infection spread throughout her body that killed her fetus and caused a severe stroke.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

It’s no wonder Phil Gingrey introduced a bill that would make it easier for negligent doctors to continue practicing negligent medicine; he used to be one of them.

Taking away the rights of injured patients is not the way to repair our health care system. Perhaps another route would be to fix the actual problem: the alarming frequency of injuries and death brought on by medical malpractice.

If you or a loved one have suffered medical malpractice at the hands of a negligent medical provider, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

President Obama Mentions Tort Reform in his State of the Union Address

Last night, in his State of the Union Address, President Obama tenderly glossed over a subject that has been a source for much debate over the last few years; medical malpractice reform. The President stated that he was:

“willing to look at other ideas to bring down [health care] costs, including one that Republicans suggested last year: medical malpractice reform to rein in frivolous lawsuits.”

Tort Reform Hurts Consumers

new jersey philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers president obama tort reformAs medical malpractice lawyers, we find that those who accuse medical malpractice claims of being frivolous do not understand the extent of the damage done to people’s lives when negligent doctors make irreversible mistakes. Tort reform would only serve to harm those who are already victims of their health system, and reduce liability for those companies that, by merit of their missions, should be working for their consumers, not against them.

Medical providers and manufacturers have great responsibilities to those that lend them their trust. Patients put their lives in the hands of doctors and surgeons. Consumers put their lives in the hands of manufacturers. Limiting the liability that these figures would be responsible for would only assist in diminishing the importance of those responsibilities. Many states in the US have already begun putting in place their own tort reform legislation; reform that includes caps on damages. For a family of five in Texas with a working mother that died due to a cancer misdiagnosis, a medical malpractice lawsuit could reap no more than $250,000. This amount of money would hardly cover medical bills, let alone take care of the remaining family members in the absence of their mother’s income.

Allegations that the tort system costs the health care industry billions of dollars a year are constantly debunked. Health Affairs, the leading journal of health policies and research, estimated that less than 2.5% of all healthcare costs can be attributed to medical malpractice litigation. And while tort reformists argue about “frivolous lawsuits,” they never seem to mention the “frivolous defenses.” Medical providers who have made irrevocable mistakes, instead of taking responsibility and compensating accordingly, mount “frivolous defenses,” paying high priced lawyers and medical “experts” to argue that the medicine they practiced was on par with the standard of care.

While most doctors strive to heal, there are those that strive only to gain money and power. These doctors will cut corners and practice negligent medicine, and it’s these doctors that must be held liable. How can we protect patients and consumers when we are restricting punishment and restitution for their harms?

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

So often, the media taints it’s picture of medical malpractice attorneys and their fight against medical negligence. It is a widespread belief that these “ambulance chasers” want nothing more than money, and they’ll get it any way they can. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Medical malpractice attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning they work for free unless they win. And they work on the side of justice, hoping to earn compensation for those who have been seriously injured and affected by negligence.

If you or a loved one have suffered due to medical malpractice, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Let the Mininno Law Office team work to earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

DePuy Hip Recall Lawyers Defend Orthopaedic Surgeons

As New Jersey and Philadelphia DePuy hip recall lawyers, we are frequently asked whether or not DePuy hip recall patients can trust their orthopaedic surgeons to give them honest, fair, and impartial advice regarding the recall. After all, this orthopaedic surgeon was the one who initially recommended the patient receive the DePuy product in the first place. However, while a small percentage of orthopaedic surgeons may have initially been offered financial incentives by DePuy and Johnson & Johnson to utilize the implant that has since been recalled, many surgeons likely chose the implant based on DePuy’s marketing of the benefits of its product. Also, while some orthopaedic surgeons may have accepted honorarium or speaking engagements money from the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary in the past, now that the implant has been recalled, it is unlikely that any orthopaedic surgeon would jeopardize his or her career by accepting further monetary compensation to promote a recalled product.

Seek a Second Opinion

new jersey philadelphia depuy hip recall lawyers defend orthopaedic surgeonsAs New Jersey and Philadelphia DePuy hip recall lawyers, we are telling our clients that they should give their own orthopaedic surgeon the benefit of the doubt and listen to what the surgeon has to say about their options. Of course, we are also recommending that all patients get a second, independent medical opinion from another orthopaedic surgeon regarding the nature and extent of their current condition, whether or not they have osteolysis, and whether the patient should obtain blood tests to determine the presence of metallic debris. This second opinion should also cover what type of implant will be utilized during the second surgery.

While all DePuy replacement recipients should follow their orthopaedic surgeon’s medical advice, most DePuy hip recall lawyers are recommending that any doctor that insists on using a DePuy implant be looked upon with skepticism. The bottom line: final choice of which hip implant (and which orthopaedic surgeon) always belongs to the patient.

DePuy Hip Recall Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If you are the recipient of a defective DePuy hip implant, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. The defective product attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are prepared to earn you the full and fair compensation that you need and deserve. Don’t be fooled by DePuy insurance claims adjusters who claim to be on your side. Seek out an attorney to fight for your rights.

Should DePuy Defective Hip Recall Make all Hip Implant patients Think Twice?

As DePuy hip recall lawyers, we have been posting daily about the hip recall litigation and other matters that may be of interest to any DePuy hip recall patient. Since this past August, many patients who are considering hip implant surgery have been wondering whether it is time to stop and think about the future of hip implant surgery. After all, any replacement procedure, whether replacing a hip, shoulder, or knee with an implant, involves replacing the body’s natural bone and tissue with man made metals and ceramics. Here, DePuy used chromium and cobalt in its ASR hip replacement system. For the 93,000 implant recipients, the recall was very bad news and is making all potential joint replacement patients reconsider their medical options.

Good Future for Joint Replacement Surgeries

new jersey philadelphia depuy hip recall lawyers patients think thiceFortunately, the medical future involving artificial joint replacement looks bright. Notwithstanding the failure of the DePuy hip implant, scientists, metallurgists, and researchers are constantly searching for better options for joint replacement patients. Unfortunately, companies like DePuy Orthopaedics and Johnson & Johnson have a financial incentive to be the first manufacturer to get their products on the market. As such, it must be questioned whether this profit motive causes manufacturers to put medical devices on the market before conducting long term studies about the product. In the case of DePuy, it appears that there were no long term studies regarding the wear and tear of the implant before the product was released into the market. Perhaps DePuy and Johnson & Johnson hoped that the chromium and cobalt metal parts in the hip implant would not pose a problem to potential patients.

Sadly, after 93,000 patients received the replacement, it turns out that DePuy’s hopes didn’t pan out. Now, these patients will be forced to undergo another surgery to remove the defective implant and replace it with yet another hip implant. Fortunately, as technologies improve and manufacturers see the downside of prematurely placing products on the market, there will be less and less complications involving joint replacement surgery in the future.

DePuy Hip Recall Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If you or a loved one recently underwent hip replacement surgery and you’ve discovered that your implant was manufactured by DePuy, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. We are prepared to provide with appropriate assistance and lead you in the right direction regarding your claim against DePuy. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.